Festivals and Festivities
by lecchan
Summary: A festival is going to take place on East City two days from today, and of course Roy is going to find a way for him and his subordinates to participate. Royai.


Again I failed in placing my story in the series story line. I think it fits pre-series, Ed is already a state alchemist and Roy is already a Colonel, but Scar didn't appear yet.

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and its characters don't belong to me. This story is for fun only.

* * *

Roy took a second to reflect on the military police and the upcoming festival that was going to take place on their own East City two days from now.

Amid towers of paperwork, the Flame Alchemist leaned his arm on a tiny space on the desk, the only that had no files on it -he decided to call it an oasis- and rested his face on his fist. Those police officers got to patrol the entirely festival, and didn't have to see a sheet of paper in the process. Besides, they could have fun. It was something like an authorized day off.

He cursed his rank. If he wasn't a Colonel, if he wasn't a military soldier and instead was a simple cop, he could enjoy the festival. He thought of stealing and then switching his blue uniform for the black version for a day. He frowned to himself for thinking in such stupidity. If he was going to break the rules and sneak into the festival, he could very well do it in civilian clothes, no need for dressing up.

He reviewed his own thoughts searching for something actually relevant. Roy ended up cursing himself for cursing his own rank. His rank that came with years of hard work, sweat, blood, tears and a little help of his State Alchemist title that pushed him half of the way to the top in a snap.

Roy glanced at Hawkeye, his view partially covered by the paperwork he was succeeding in denying. If it wasn't for his Lieutenant, there would be no little push to make him ascend to the rank of Major at once.

A kid like Edward Elric was higher ranked than Hawkeye because of his title. Roy felt like he cheated. Riza really worked hard to get to First Lieutenant, and he had barely gotten a glimpse of what is to be something like an average cadet. Technically, the Alchemic Array on her back was _hers_. The most logic and fair was for her to be the Flame Alchemist, for her to be the Colonel.

Pangs of guilt, sorrow and memories flooded him as he continued to look at her. Riza hated that tattoo, the danger it carried. But she had trusted everything to him. She still trusted everything to him, and that made him smile. Her trust made him believe that everything was right, as it was meant to be.

He wanted to take her to the festival.

People discussed about this festival all the time now. East City was considered a dull town, the capital of the countryside where nothing ever happened. Compared to Central, East City was very much a Resembool. So, this annual festival always brought some excitement to town.

It was some kind of twist on the xingese festivals. The stands and the paper lamps -highly flammable, but somehow safe- were the charm of it. Roy had only participated twice, when he was still a Lieutenant Colonel. He had gone with a date the two times. Two red haireds. One was a newbie in Madame Chirstmas's bar and the other had been Havoc's girlfriend. He couldn't remember her name, they only hanged together that night, but he remembered pointing out to himself that Havoc had good taste in women, shame Roy had the good looks.

He had missed the event for five years in a row now because of work. Why people only did it once a year was idiotic for him. He scowled. Even thought they would never be able to become the Fuhrer and rule the country like him, the military police enjoyed the festival every year.

Riza eyed Mustang from her desk. She couldn't see him with all those papers on his table, but she could easily tell he wasn't working. "Sir, the paperwork is not going to do itself"

Roy snapped from his slightly jealous thoughts of the police officers, and picked up his abandoned pen to falsely resume working. "Of course, Lieutenant". Of course, but if it happened, it would definitely please him.

The other men decided now that since theirs superiors had broken the long silence, it would be ok to speak. Havoc was the first to open his mouth. "Are any of you going to the festival?"

Everybody said no, and Riza didn't even bother shaking her head. "Damn all this work", the blond Second Lieutenant continued. "The festival is always the the perfect place to get a girl".

Fuery looked up from his work with a curious expression on his face. "Do you go to the festival often, Second Lieutenant?". The upcoming event was the main topic now.

"Well, I did. But since I started worked for _the Colonel_, I don't have the time anymore", Havoc said without subletlety on the ammount of venom he applied on his words.

Roy cringed on his desk. Havoc was blaming him because he slacked too often and thus multiplied the amount of paperwork for all of them, an well known equation on their office. But still, how dared he. "Well, Havoc, you should go for the festival this time. It's only once a year and I bet you don't want to wait another one to get a one single girl"

"YOU BASTARD, YOU STOLE MY GIRLFRIEND THAT YEAR!". Havoc yelled and pointed at his cool looking superior. Roy had deeply insulted his womanizing skills.

"I think time has already passed for you to get over it", Roy said sharply.

"He's right, Second Lieutenant. It's not like he haven't stolen other girlfriends from you after that", Fuery spoke up innocently.

Havoc met Mustang's dark, overly confident and annoying gaze, and after a second of staring contest his patience shattered and he started screaming again. Breda efficiently got up and held Havoc down before the blond jumped on the Colonel's neck, while Falman and Hawkeye just watched wondering when all this was going to end. Breda knew a fight would end up with the whole office on fire and his finished paperwork burned.

Havoc was grinding his teeth, but eventually calmed down, and turned away from his now smirking superior. "Well, it's not like any of us will be able to attend to it this year anyway".

"Why would someone hold a festival like this in a Wednesday?", Breda said while walking to his desk.

"But we work on the weekend too", Falman replied, speaking up for once.

"But you got my point. If it was Friday, Saturday or Sunday there would be some chance for us to leave work early"

Roy took in all the conversation, but wasn't able to come up with a solution. "I've been wondering about it all day, but I have no clue of how we would be able to go. There's just too much paperwork in here". He said with some disgust on his last sentence, and omitted his thoughts on the police officers, judging it was stupid.

Riza raised an eyebrow at what her superior had said, not really believing what she had just heard. "Sir, are you aware that this paperwork on your desk is all about the festival?".

Roy froze on place as realization dawned on him. So that was how he started thinking about the festival.

"Smooth, boss".

"Shut up, Havoc".

Riza rolled her eyes. She felt more than ever in a kindergarten. "These papers, sir, go from permissions to sell foreign products to profiles of police officers who will be covering the festival". Oh, so that's where the cops things had come from. "But overall, I believe they want your opinion on those paper lamps. It seems they can start a fire if not managed carefully".

"Oh", Roy answered as he picked various files concerning the situation. Everything clicked as he scanned them. He then thanked his First Lieutenant quietly, not feeling awkward at all with the situation.

Hawkeye observed her Colonel again. He had moved some files from the piles and now she could see his face. He was totally focused on the work now. It was like something had flicked a switch on his mind, and the Lieutenant could feel he was scheming something.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Roy left the office after two hours of hard work without saying a word. He took the festival papers with him.

* * *

"Gentlemen, we're going to the festival!"

Roy swung the door open. He came back from his mysterious absence 40 minutes later, bearing good news, but not having the reaction he expected. "I went all over the place to get a permission, and you look at me like this. You people should bow to me", Roy said stretching his arm to show the newly acquired and signed papers.

The suspicious glances remained. Hawkeye got up to check the papers Roy was showing them, knowing she was included on the 'gentlemen'.

"How did you get it?", Breda said straight-forwardly.

"Those papers in my desk, as the Lieutenant had said, were requesting my opinion on the paper lamps. After reading all of it, I went to talk to Lieutenant General Grumman, and he said I could take you all to patrol the festival with me and ensure there wouldn't be any fires". Roy said proudly. He slightly used his idea about the police officers, and his title had again served him good. Who would be better to take care of fires if not the Flame Alchemist? He smirked to himself, and took a look at the men's reactions.

Everyone was giving money to Falman.

"You bet I was going to get the permission?"

"They bet _how_ you were going to get it, sir", Hawkeye said as she finished looking at the papers. If she had participated, she too would bet the Colonel was going to trick the General.

Roy had the urge to facepalm. Such ingrateful subordinates. "After tomorrow we're going to work at the festival. Come in your uniforms, we will meet there at 6PM sharp. Don't be late".

"Yes, sir!", they all saluted. He was such a good boss.

* * *

"Fuery, where were you?"

"I'm sorry, sir! I got kinda lost"

The festival as really big. Roy didn't blame the young Major Sergeant. It was also crowded, and slightly dark now that the sun was setting. Their targeted paper lamps would become active about now, but it was not like they were really going to take that seriously.

"Now that everyone is here, let's go. Don't be left behind".

After the order and a salute, the sextet walked around with Roy leading the expedition with Hawkeye right behind him, Fuery by her side, and Breda, Havoc and Falman just behind them.

The small stands really sold about everything like toys, food and strangely collored candy. Also, there were ones that held little games. The soft yellow light of the paper lamps made the whole ambient more cozy and welcoming. People of all ages walked by.

Riza smiled at the sights. There were some kids playing with xingese toys on the corner. It was only at the East one would get to see those types of merchandise.

She liked working on East City. It was such a calm place. She missed field work sometimes, but not having to go on dangerous missions and therefore not having to kill frequently pleased her. Besides, it made her job as the Colonel's bodyguard easier even though she would have to play nanny most of the time.

Like now. The men had disappeared, leaving her alone with the Colonel.

"Where are they?", Riza asked raising an eyebrow.

"There was a kissing booth around there", Roy pointed to the place and all the Lieutenant's questions were answered.

"Should we go after them, sir?"

"There's no need. They will probably stay there for the rest of the evening", and they had given the perfect opportunity for the two officers to be together. Roy wouldn't have wished anything different. "Let's continue the patrol".

And so they did, Riza walked by his side now, a step behind so she could watch his back. The festival looked pretty interesting to her, and Roy noticed that extra sparkle of curiosity on her eyes.

"Have you ever been to this festival, Lieutenant?", he asked casually as they walked. Some people looked at them funny, surprised to see the military in such a lighthearted event. But they smiled nonetheless, feeling somewhat safe.

"I never really attended to it. But I passed through it some times", Riza answered in a neutral tone, still looking around. "Work never let me".

"Really, paperwork is a curse for all of us, you should just let me -". He was about to suggest burning the damned papers, but Riza's eyes were locked on something on their right. He grinned. Of course the shooting game would get her attention.

"Do you want to go there?", a hint of amusement found its place on Roy's voice.

"It wouldn't be appropriate".

"But I know you want to", Roy smirked at her, and she turned to him with a no-nonsense stare, making his smirk even wider. Roy put a hand on her shoulder and they turned east without complains from the Lieutenant.

They stopped by the stand, and the salesman grinned at them. "Hello, sir. Wanna try to win a prize for your girlfriend?"

Girlfriend. Both of them were dressed on their military uniforms, Riza was carrying loaded guns with her, and the subject was still able to look at them as couple in a silly date.

"I might just try, yeah", Roy played along. "Which of the prizes do you want, hunny?"

"Stop fooling around, sir". Riza said not looking at her superior who was smiling even though she had cut his act mercilessly.

The stand owner kept grinning. Denial, uh? "120 cenz for five shots, miss. Knock down three targets and you get the prize"

"You can only miss twice then?", Roy looked at Riza with a fake, but annoying, cocky grin. "I think you should let me handle that, Lieutenant".

"_I_ think you should stay behind, sir. I might slip and shoot your forehead". Riza said while paying the man, successfully shutting Roy up for good forty seconds.

She finished loading the wooden pistol with a cork that would serve as a bullet, and took a shooting stance. Her position was steady and totally concentrated, like she always is when handling firearms.

"Isn't it the man's job to win gifts for the woman?", Roy said still donning that silly smile, his arms crossed.

"Maybe, if the woman doesn't know how to shoot".

Mustang grinned more as Hawkeye eyed the can targets. He was proud of having the best shooter of the military as his aide. Her abilities impressed him every time. Her strength and skill was something to be respected. Also, he wondered about the coincidence with her last name. It was like she was born to become a sniper, even tough he could never picture her father handling a gun.

Riza brought the small pistol on position, missing the familiar metal click of the inner gears of her usual firearms. This one was way lighter than an average gun, but it was nothing that would hinder her.

She shot, and Roy had to use the combined strength of all of the cells that formed his body to avoid laughing. The cork bullet had hit the can perfectly, but the metal target didn't budge. What got him however was the almost imperceptible twitch on Riza's left eyebrow.

_It looks like males aren't that disposable, huh_. And it looked like the the perfect occasion to tease his Lieutenant. "I can't believe my eyes. The Hawk's eyes missed-", he was interrupted mid sentence when Riza shot again, and the situation met the same end as before. The quirk was back on her eyebrow in the instant she heard her military nickname.

"What is this? The ever so humble Hawk's eyes is annoyed because she missed?", Roy teased her further, pushing her limits, but she didn't budge. She hadn't missed. She had gotten it on the spot, but the result wasn't the expected one. Instead of recieving a clean death, the tin can stood proud on the bench along with its brothers.

Roy took a look at the salesmen. He was on the far corner of the stand, looking very intersted on fixing something Roy couldn't see. The man had cheated them, putting sand inside the can, and thus making the target impossible to knock over. It was a very common thing, but he had cheated the military right here, Roy thought. That was some courage the chubby man had.

The Colonel looked again at Hawkeye. Her expression was again stoic and unreadable. That quick movement of her eyebrow before would be classified quick and insignificant to an outsider, but to Roy it was like she had her expression completely twisted in anger.

With clinic brown eyes in her face, she shot the same can, this time making the target fall limp. Reloading the pistol professionally, Riza knocked two others with ease. She didn't even blink.

Roy whistled, and Riza went over to call the owner of the stand. The man looked innocently when she asked him to get the prize she wanted. Roy walked to her, and he knew exactly what she was going to pick.

"Are you picking that stuffed dog?". He knew she was because it looked exactly like Black Hayate. The main difference is that it was larger than the puppy, and was strangely colored pink and green.

"Yes". She said simply, looking cute with the weird dog on her arms, Roy thought. "If you want, I can get something for you too, _sweetheart_".

She sure chose the perfect moments for those commentaries. "Touché, Lieutenant".

Riza was smirking on her mind, despite her face staying again stoic. Roy knew she wanted to laugh at his face. He could see past her and back, reading her thoughts like an open book. Now, he wanted to ask her how she managed to knock the targets with the sand on them.

It was her time to read his mind. "On the second shot I made sure the can was only half filled with sand. So, on the third, I was able to hit it in a way it would lose balance and fall. The others were empty".

Roy nodded. She just had to shoot the head instead of the heart then. He looked looked back at the toy she was carrying. There was no way Riza liked that combination of colors.

"Is it for Black Hayate?", the Colonel pointed to the pink and green doll.

"Yes. I thought I should get it for him so he doesn't get lonely when I'm away"

Roy made an 'ah' sound while they moved away from the shooting game stand. "Why didn't you bring him with you today?"

"It's too crowded here, and I didn't wanted this mission to look more like a day off than it already does, sir".

The Flame Alchemist sighed and smiled at her professional tone. They walked in silence for a while, until Hawkeye mentioned regrouping with the rest of the men. Roy agreed, and they started retracing their steps to go back to where they have left Havoc and the others.

The two of them were walking against the flow of people with some difficulty. Riza had slipped her hand on Roy's arm, holding him rather tenderly so they wouldn't get separated. The Colonel noticed Riza was almost being pushed back by all the civilians, her blonde head was all he could see among the crowd. He knew she just wanted to pull her gun and shoot an warning bullet up to clear their way, so Roy took the hand she was using to hold his arm in his, and moved to the side to get away from the crowd and avoid Riza's angry outburst.

They were now behind the stands, on the outskirts of the festival, away from the crowd. Riza noticed they were still holding hands, and somehow their fingers ended up interwined in the movement. She enjoyed having his warmith against her flesh, and he too didn't seem to mind the close contact they were having. Soon it was over, though.

"Well, it looks like it's impossible for us to go meet them now".

Riza nodded. "The flow of people should die down in a while"

This time, Roy nodded, and he looked around. "Wait here"

Before Riza could say something, he was gone already. She was in a plain field, and she could see the lights of the Eastern Headquarters from her spot. The festival was being held on the parade area, so it wasn't that far away from work.

Roy was back in an instant, pulling her away from her thoughts. She gave him a neutral, but amused, look.

"Cotton candy, sir?"

"Yes!", he grinned that silly grin of his, and handled her the fluffy candy. She thanked him quietly. "Don't you like it?"

Riza looked at the sweet, and saw Roy devouring his. "I don't have a real opinion about it"

"You could just answer yes or no"

Riza tasted the cotton candy slowly, and when Roy prompted her to say what she thought about it, she responded "It's more or less".

Roy got an annoyed look on his face, but let go, and got Riza's candy when she handled it to him, eating it quickly. He was going to say something when an explosion startled him.

"Fireworks?"

"It's become quite popular, hasn't it?", Roy said. He thought for a second that it was a paper lamp exploding. He would be so screwed if it was.

"This year's are better than last time", Riza pointed out. Fireworks were common on festivals, and she usually saw them from far. It was the first time she got to see them so close like this. She thought the huge mass of people before was moving to see them. They struggled for nothing. She and Roy were in the outskirts and had a very good view.

They admired the show for a long moment, and Riza let herself voice a thought to break the silence. "Can you make fireworks too, Colonel?"

Roy had already finished Riza's former cotton candy, and was quite surprised by her question. The Lieutenant didn't usually ask casual questions like that. "I can, but it doesn't get colorful like these. Some other chemical elements are necessary to make the colors".

Riza nodded, and Roy continued talking "I can show you later".

The Lieutenant smiled a bit. "We should go look for the men now, Colonel".

They started moving, but Riza stopped to look back at Roy when he called her by her title. The dark haired man put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her, and kissed her on the lips carefully for a quick moment.

When he broke the kiss, Riza's face was unreadable. "What was that for, sir?"

Roy still had his hands on her shoulders, and he let his head drop, sulking in a comical manner. "Can't I get my Lieutenant in my arms and kiss her once in a while?"

"No, sir. It's not in the military protocol for superior officers to get their subordinates in their arms and kiss them", she said jokingly, but in a professional tone still.

"I didn't generalize it like that". He threw his head backwards in a lazy manner and pulled the blond closer, hugging her shoulders. Hearing her chuckle put him back into a serious position, and he leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. He leaned in more and they kissed again. This time Hawkeye returned his feelings, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

It only lasted a good half a minute, and Roy gave her a final peck on the lips before before breaking away. Riza was smiling, and so was he.

"Should we get to the men then?"

"A thousand cenz that Havoc was dumped by all the girls of the kissing booth"

Roy cursed himself for not really betting that.

* * *

"Hughes, there was no way for you to come here from Central so quickly. And I'm saying, I hadn't planned to go"

"But of course I would get there on time! It only takes some hours by train!"

"Six hours"

"That's not much!"

"Don't you have work to do?"

"I do, but festivals are waay more cool than work!"

Roy would have to use his hidden card. "Were you going to leave Gracia and Elisia alone?"

Silence. Bingo.

"You're a horrible friend", Hughes whined on the phone. "But I'm nice. So, next time we have something here in central, you're coming. And you can bring Riza too"

Roy smiled on the other side of the line. He wouldn't go anywhere without his Lieutenant, and it's not like she would let him anyway.

"So, Roy. What did you buy for Elisia?"

* * *

Corny royai because that's what I do. Reviews are loved.~


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